Fred Solis: An Officer And An Aggie
Police Chief Lionel F. “Fred” Solis lives two core Aggie values—leadership and selfless service.
Solis, a doctoral student in the Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development (EAHR), is a 30-year lawman and 40-year military veteran who was recently sworn in as the new police chief of Olmos Park, Texas.
“I am a public service-oriented individual, and I love serving my country and my community,” Solis said.
Solis joined the human resource development graduate program in the fall of 1999. Forty-six months of active duty in the Middle East delayed his completion, but now he is at work on his dissertation. His interest in human resource development comes from having taught law enforcement courses and a desire to improve training methods for police officers.
“State-mandated training and education for law enforcement agencies have always been a challenge in terms of personnel management when having to maintain minimum levels of manpower on duty along with other resource constraints,” Solis said. “I hope to conduct research and publish information that will help in dealing with some of these issues.”
Prior to his being sworn in as police chief of Olmos Park, Solis had been a police officer with the City of San Antonio for 23 years. He was mostly assigned to special operations units, such as Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and hostage negotiation teams.
He also maintained a parallel career in the military, attaining the rank of colonel. Solis enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1967 and served in both active and reserve forces.
Solis retired from the San Antonio Police Department in 2001, but was soon on active duty in the army in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He has completed three tours of duty in the Middle East and other missions.
Solis said his new position appealed to his interest in public service.
“The position gives me the opportunity to be back in uniform and use my law enforcement background and experience in administering an agency,” Solis said.
Media contact: tamunews@tamu.edu.
